Adeptus Custodes

How Adeptus Custodes play

Custodes are the extreme end of the elite spectrum: an army where thirty models is a full 2,000 points and every one of them is individually excellent. The result is an army with almost no bad units and almost no room for error — you cannot afford to lose models, and you cannot be in two places at once.

On the table they play as an unstoppable-object army. Custodian squads are hard to shift from an objective and win most fights they choose. The whole game becomes about which fights you choose, because you have enough bodies to contest three objectives and no more.

Custodes also field the Anathema Psykana — the Sisters of Silence — as an in-codex allied option, which gives the army a cheap, fast element it otherwise lacks entirely.

Building a Adeptus Custodes army list

Model count is the constraint that shapes every decision. Before adding another elite unit, count how many separate units you have — if it is under eight at 2,000 points, you will struggle to hold objectives and perform mission actions at the same time.

The Anathema Psykana allowance is one to three units depending on battle size — one at Incursion, two at Strike Force, three at Onslaught. Those are frequently the cheapest and most expendable units in the army, which makes them disproportionately valuable for actions and screening.

Bikes and other fast options earn their points here more than in most armies, because a slow Custodes list simply cannot cover the table.

Adeptus Custodes FAQ

How many models are in a 2,000 point Custodes army?

Often around twenty-five to thirty-five. It is the smallest model count of any army, which makes Custodes cheap to collect and paint but tactically unforgiving.

What are the Sisters of Silence in a Custodes list?

The Anathema Psykana alliance rule lets a Custodes army include Anathema Psykana units from the same codex — one at Incursion, two at Strike Force, three at Onslaught. They provide cheap bodies and anti-psyker capability.

What beats Adeptus Custodes?

Volume. Armies that field enough units to contest more objectives than Custodes can physically reach, and enough attacks to eventually grind through high-quality saves, are the difficult matchup.